Harness-saddle



(No Model.)

- H. SCHMITZ;

HARNESS SADDLE.

No. 496,447. PatentedlMy 2;' 1893.

Wifgszs NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY SCHMI'E WYMORE, NEBRASKA.

HARNESS-SADDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 496,447, dated May 2, 1893.

Application filed December 21, 1892. Serial No. 455,906. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY SCHMITZ, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Vymore, in the county of Gage and State of Nebraska, have invented a new and useful Harness-Saddle, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to harness saddles, and especially to a novel form of hinged tree, and has for its object to provide a tree composed of hinged sections whereby the saddle may be readily conformed to the contour of the back of the animal to which it is applied, the sections being provided with upper and lower shoulders to limit their upward and downward movement, by which means the striking of the backbone and pinching of the back are prevented; and with this object in view, the invention consists of the construction and arrangement of the parts as will be more fullyhereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a central longitudinal vertical section of a harness saddle embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the parts of the harness saddle disconnected.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the several figures.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral l designates the upper burr piece constructed of leather, paper pulp, or other suitable material, and to which the pad-leathers 2 are attached, and having the burrs or nuts for connecting the several parts positioned thereon at proper intervals, the burr to receive the hook-shank being fastened to the bottom or lower burr piece. A tree is embedded in the said upper burr piece, out of the center of which a piece is cut to embed the hook-plate 3, and consists of three parts: viz., the said hook-plate 3, that is centrally located, and side sections 4. The hook-plate 3 is formed with an under concaved side 5 and a central screw-opening 6 to receive the shank of the check-hook 7. The opposite ends of said hookplate 3 are formed with oppositely-extending lugs or ears 8, having openings extending therethrough, and the parts of the ends of the said plates 3, on opposite sides of the lugs or ears 8, are formed with concaved recesses 9, thereby providing upper and lower projecting edges 10. The inner ends of the sections 4 are bifurcated, as at 11, to form oppositelydisposed ears 12, which are thickened and have openings therein adapted to align with the openings in the lugs or ears 8, for the purpose of receiving pintles 13 to form a hingeconnection. The ears 12 have shoulders 14 at the upper and lower portions thereof, which are adapted to engage the edges 10 hereinbefore set forth, and thereby limit the upward and downward movement of the said sections 4. The inner portions of the ears 12 are eX- tendod beyond the shoulders 14 and rounded,-

as at 15, to loosely fit within the concaved recesses 9 on opposite sides of the ears or lugs 8 of the plate 3, and the body-portions of the said sections 4 are bent or formed into concavo-conveX form to conform to the contour of the parts of the harness saddle with which they engage, and at the lower end of each an opening 16 is formed, which aligns with a similar opening in the upper and lower burr pieces 1, through which the shanks of the terret rings are passed and secured on the bottom burr piece. A sheathing or strap 18 is mounted over the tree and the upper'burr piece and held in position by the check-hook, terret rings, and the usual form of screws at the ends. The hook-plate 3 is provided with the under-curved sides in order to conform to the bend of the saddle, as will be readily understood.

The saddle herein set forth is of light construction in view of the fact that a comparatively small amount of metal is used in the construction of the tree, and is cheap of manufacture on account of its simpleness in con struction.

A further advantage of considerable importance is the facility and convenience with which the tree can be removed without 'the use of a tool by any one, and which becomes necessary when the tree becomes broken by the animal rubbing or rolling.

By the device herein set forth it will be seen that the tree is readily adjustable to conform to the shapes of different animals, but is prevented from having too great downward or upward movement in order to prevent striking the backbone of the animaland to avoid incumbrance or inconvenience of the saddle spreading outward or upward too far.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is IOO In a harness saddle, the combination with the upper and lower burr pieces, the pad leathers, the sheathing strap, and the terret rings and check-hook, of a tree consisting of a central hook-plate formed with an under conoaved side and a central screw-opening, and having the opposite ends provided with oppositely-extending lugs or ears that are ap-` ertnred transversely, and the outer parts of the ends of said ears concaved partially through their thickness to form upper and lower projecting edges 10, and side sections with inner bifuroated ends to form oppositelydisposed ears I2 that are of a greater thick- 

